PDP appears disinclined to accept NC offer in J&K

The party said that their agenda was not just to come to power, but to bring peace and stability in the region

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has emerged as the single largest party in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, today indicated that it may not be inclined to accept National Conference's offer of support for forming a government.

"The people have voted against the National Conference in the elections and with just 15 seats, they (NC) cannot decide on the government formation," PDP Chief spokesperson Naeem Akhtar told PTI here.

Akhtar was commenting on the letter sent by NC's Working President Omar Abdullah to Governor N N Vohra yesterday to inform him about his party's support to the PDP and asking him not to take any decision on government formation without consulting his party.

Soon after, Akhtar had said last night, "Our agenda is not just to come to power but use it as a means to bring peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir."

He said if cobbling up a government had been the sole aim of the PDP, it would have staked its claim by now.

"Now the NC has sent a letter to the Governor offering support to us and we would have staked claim by now, had we just been interested in coming to power," he said.

Asked about the talks with BJP on government formation, Akhtar said the back channel contacts were going on.

"The structured dialogue has not started yet but back channel talks are in progress," he said without elaborating further on the issue.

PDP and BJP have been in talks but failed to reach any agreement even three weeks after the results came, following which the Governor's Rule was imposed in the state last week.

The assembly polls, whose results were declared on December 23 last, threw up a fractured mandate. PDP emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats in the 87-member House. BJP bagged 25 seats, NC 15 and Congress 12.

Abdullah resigned last week as caretaker chief minister.